Kensington, Oct. 26, 1849

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"PRAY REMEMBER THE GROTTO!" ON ST. JAMES' DAY.

When the great popularity which the legends of the Saints formerly
enjoyed is considered it becomes matter of surprise that they should not
have been more frequently consulted for illustrations of our folk-lore
and popular observances. The Edinburgh Reviewer of Mrs. Jameson's
_Sacred and Legendary Art_ has, with great judgement, extracted from
that work a legend, in which, as he shows very clearly[A], we have the
real, although hitherto unnoticed, origin of the Three Balls which still
form the recognised sign of a Pawnbroker. The passage is so curious,
that it should be transferred entire to the "NOTES AND QUERIES."

[A] Edinburgh Review, vol. lxxxix. p.400.

"None of the many diligent investigators of our popular antiquities
have yet traced home the three golden balls of our pawnbrokers to
the emblem of St. Nicholas. They have been properly enough referred
to the Lombard merchants, who were the first to open loan-shops in
England for the relief of temporary distress. But the Lombards had
merely assumed an emblem which had been appropriated to St.
Nicholas, as their charitable predecessor in that very line of
business. The following is the legend: and it is too prettily told
to be omitted:--

"'Now in that city (Panthera) there dwelt a certain nobleman, who
had three daughters, and, from being rich, he became poor; so poor